Remember Me
by niteshay
Summary: After taking down a villain, Kirishima finds himself a rather unusual wolf. While he tries to figure out how to be a good pet owner, others have also taken an interest in the wolf. The sturdy hero makes a promise to help the wolf, and he intends to keep it, he hopes he hasn't bitten off more then he can chew. Pairings: Kirishima x OC (Main), Other Parings *I do not own BNHA/MHA*
1. Chapter 1

I do not own BNHA (My Hero Academia) , only the OCs.

Rating is M because I'm not sure what all will happen. Better to be safe than sorry.

Sorry any grammar or spelling errors. I do my best to fix everything but I know I still miss things

Please enjoy :) Feedback is welcome.

"Die you bastard!" Kirishima heard the phrase countless times, but this time it didn't come from his angry blonde best friend. No, it was from the large bald shady-looking man behind him, who was pointing a gun directly at his head. The villain, dressed in an expensive-looking black suit, looked ready for a lavish party. Instead, he was brawling with a hero while the police were raiding his illegal business downstairs. As soon as the police breached the first door, the villain made a run it upstairs. The leader of the raid leader told the redhead to go after him while they handled the hired help. Kirishima chased the man, cornering him in a lavish-looking office. The man attacked Kirishima as soon as he entered the room, trying to get the jump on him. The villain thought he could use his size and quirk to overwhelm the young hero. If Kirishima has been just any hero, this might have worked; however, the man quickly realized that he was going up against Red Riot. Try as he might, the villain couldn't break through Kirishima's hardened body.

After a few punches from Kirishima's hardened fist, he thought the man was out cold, apparently not. He should have been keeping an eye on the man, if he did, he would have noticed the merchant getting up and reaching for the gun. A big mistake on his part. Mistakes expected of a rookie intern, not a sidekick with 5 years of experience under his belt. But he, after seemingly knocking the man out he attention was pulled over to the other side of the room. Kirishima wouldn't have enough time to harden his body, not at this close range. This was it. His hero career was going to end here and now. Just before the man could squeeze the trigger, a large black mass rushed him from the side, and long white fangs sunk into the villain's outstretched arm. He howled in pain as the gun went off, still pointed in the redhead's direction. Luckily, the bullet only grazed his arm. The villain cursed, seizing the large wolf by the hind leg with freehand and hurled it to the side. The malnourished K9 crashed hard into a glass display case across the lavish office.

As shards of glass showered the poor wolf, Kirishima charged the man before he could get another shot off. With one powerful hardened punch to the face, he sent him sailing over the desk and into the wall. After Kirishima made sure the man was staying down, he hurried over to check on the animal that saved his life. As he neared the wolf, it let out a weak but menacing growl; ears flat against its skull in a threatening manner. He slowed his approach and gradually raised his hand, hoping to seem less intimidating. It continued to growl at him as he came to a halt a few feet away. Even wounded and half-starved, the wolf was ready to defend itself.

*** 2 hours earlier ***

Kirishima just finished suiting up in the temporary headquarters, not far from the location of their target. Now in full hero costume, he was ready to take down the villain known as 'Beast King' who was currently held up in a warehouse near the port side of the city. From the reports, he's a merchant trafficking exotic and rare animal on the black market. The police department has intel that he'll be exporting a shipment of animals out tonight before leaving the country. If they wanted to catch him, they had to do it now. Typically this wasn't an assignment he would take, but Anima, the petting hero, asked for his help. They needed more muscle for the job, and he was just the kind of person to help out a buddy. Koda even recruited Earphone Jack, to assist as well. While he did hang out with Jirou a good bit, now that she and his best bud Kaminari were dating, he didn't get to see or work with Koda too much. It was nice to see his former gentle giant classmate again. This would be the first time the three heroes got to work together on a sting operation. He realizes as he thought about the mission and the details they went over earlier.

The briefing was details but straight to the point. An informant reported that they'll be a variety of animals and some dangerous ones at that. If the villains feel cornered, they might try to use their captives as a diversion for their escape. The leader was also known to be a powerhouse with a strengthen-enhancing quirk. The bust would be a tricky one, but that's why the three heroes were requested. Jirou could be the ears of the operation, finding out information while also helping improve the effectiveness of Koda's quirk. He would keep the animals under control, while Red Riot would rush one side with a team. While the villains were busy with his team his team, another group (including Jirou and Koda) would sneak in through the other side where the animals were being held. Once everything was secured, they'd round up the villains, the animals, and the head honcho for a mission accomplished.

***30 mins into the raid***

Everything was going to plan. The raid teams quickly overpowered the grunts spread throughout the warehouse. All of the captured animals were sleeping peacefully in the cages, thanks to Koda and Jirou. While the raid teams rounded up the lackeys, Kirishima pursued the ring leader who was fleeing upstairs. The villain was fast for his size, causing the hero to lose him around a turn. Now he had to search every room he came across. During his search, he found a large black wolf in a cage in a small storage room. It looked half-starved and was lying, cramped up in the cage that was way too small. It was muzzled and had a metal collar clamped tightly around its throat. No doubt, making it hard for the creature to breathe.

Kirishima was horrified at the torment the wolf was being put through. Most of the other animals appeared well kept, but this one wasn't. He knew he needed to get the villain before he escaped but he couldn't leave it like this. No, he wouldn't leave it like this. He thought as he squatted down next to the cage, the wolf didn't move. It appeared to be under the effect of Koda's quirk like the rest of the animals, but with the collar and muzzle, it was hard to tell. He hardened his closed fist, making a devastating hammer, and with one downwards strike, the lock shattered. The wolf peeked open one of its bright green eyes at the sound of the commotion. At least now he knows it's still alive. "Don't worry, I'm here to help." He whispered as he stuck his hands in the cage, removing the muzzle and collar. "There ya go. That should make it easier for you to breath." He smiled softly at the wolf as he saw the wolf take a few noticeable deep breaths before opening its unfocused eye more. "Someone will be by to help you, just stay here, ok?" He kept his voice soft, not wanting to frighten it. Slowly, he rose and turned to exit the room. He gave the wolf one more glance before exiting the room. Filled with a combination of determination and anger, he left to resume his search. He was going to bring this villain to justice no matter what.

****Present****

Who would have guessed the wolf he saved would end up saving him in return.

"Easy, I'm not going to hurt you. I was the one that freed you. Remember?" He gave it a hesitant smile while slowly making his way closer to the wolf. He wasn't too concerned about the wolf attacking him. He could just harden his skin, but doing so would only further harm it. The K9 stopped growling, but he could see the suspicion in those bright green eyes. He slowly maneuvered one of his raised his hand to the side of his face to press a small button on headgear. "Hey Anima, you read me?" He calmly spoke into the mic on his face gear.

"We hear you, Red. Did you get the villain?" Jirou's voice came through on the radio.

"Yeah, I got him. He's not going anywhere, anytime soon. Can you get Anima up to my position? I got an injured wolf up here who is not too happy."

"He's on his way up. From the sounds of it, your room is the last one occupied. All the other rooms appear clear." Koda's quirk was terrific, this mission would have been way more complicated if they didn't have him. Usually, trying to bust an operation of this size and not hurt any of the animals would be damn near impossible. But with Koda here, along with Jirou acting as recon and an amplifier, it went off without a hitch. All the animals were snoozing in their cages. "Looks like you didn't get that memo," He mumbled to the only animal awake and very much alert. Kirishima kept himself at a safe distance while the wolf watched him closely. It was a tense few minutes before he heard Koda making his way to him. One of the wolf's ears moved to the direction of the approaching footsteps. The wolf let grunt out as it made a move to try and stand.

"Don't move too much, those are some pretty nasty cuts. We're here to help. I promise." He tried to reassure the wolf, but it was clearly still scared and tried to stand despite its injuries. Kirishima could only watch helplessly as the wolf fell back down with a painful yelp and whine. "I just want to help," Kirishima whispered as he got a little closer to the wolf. This time it didn't try to move. "Hey, Anima, slow and easy when you enter the room. It's hurt pretty bad and might try to bail at any sudden moves." He whispered into his mic.

"Got it, we're almost there," Koda replied in his soft-spoken voice. He was still a shy person, years of being a hero still hadn't broken him of that. But he's not as shy, at least he talks now. He doesn't get as much spotlight some of the UA students from his graduating class, but it doesn't mean he's any less of a hero. In fact, Anima is a well-known and well-respected hero in the animal community. It wasn't long before Koda slowly entered the room, followed by a young police officer. Kirishima continued to try and calm the wolf, but as soon as it noticed the others, it attempted to get up again, this time with more success. Now that the wolf was standing, he could see blood dripping from its side that was facing away from him. The wolf started to growl again, this time at Koda and the officer. The cop, who looked to be fresh out of the academy, cursed before drawing his gun, aiming at the wounded wolf.

"Put your weapon away!" Kirishima roared at the man before turning his attention back to the wolf, "Easy. Easy there. This is my friend Anima, he's a pro hero like me. He's here to help." Kirishima whispered, moving slowly to block the wolf from the officer's sight. He hardened his back to protect himself and the wolf in case the rookie's finger slipped. This also got the wolf to focus back on him by blocking its view from the other two. While the wolf was an intimidating beast to most, he could tell it was just hurt, frightened, and hungry. Koda instructed the officer to wait back with the other. Kirishima was too focus on the wolf and the small pool of blood forming under it, to care. It seemed a little calmer as the officer left but was still agitated as Koda gradually approached until he was standing next to Kirishima. Its ears were still flattened to the top of its skull, at least it stopped growling. They needed to get the animal calmed down and how lucky for them that Koda had just the quirk for the job.

"My name is Anima, the petting hero. We are here to help. I want you to calm down now." He said softly to the wolf, activating his quirk. They waited for a moment only to have the wolf to give them a slightly confused look. Koda gawked at the wolf before whispering, "That's weird." He tried again. "I said I want you to calm down." The wolf swayed a little, but Kirishima suspected it was from the blood loss, not the hero's quirk. "My quirk isn't working. I know I'm activating, but... it's not working on it." Koda whispered disbelief, who looked at the also now shocked Kirishima. His quirk worked on all animals, even insects. Why wouldn't it work on this wolf? He wondered. Now, what were they going to do? He thought as he looked at the wolf over. They couldn't just leave it like this, but how to move her without hurting her was the question. Kirishima glanced up to Koda for him to take the lead, seeing how this was more of his thing, but he was still staring at the wolf in shock.

"Well, why don't we just ask?" Kirishima's suggestion was as pure as the look on his face. "I mean, he hasn't attacked me yet and seems to understand us pretty well." Koda was doubtful the idea would work but nodded in approval. The wolf was losing a good bit of blood. If this didn't work, they would have to get someone with a tranq and fast. Something told him that that wouldn't end well. He turned back towards the wolf and let out a sigh.

"Don't think I could just ask you to come with us, could I?" He gave the wolf his trademark grin. Something seems to flash behind those green eyes as if it was considering his question. The wolf shook its head as if it were answering his question with a no. The two heroes gawked at the animal, neither of them was expecting a response. "You can understand us?!" Kirishima asked with a mix of excitement and shock. It nodded. The wolf nodded yes to his question. While the redhead was dumbfounded, fortunately, Koda was quicker to recover this time.

"Maybe he's like Neztu?" Koda inquired, glancing over at Kirishima. His question seemed to shake Kirishima from his stupor state.

"I guess so." He scratched his head. "Guess that would explain why that guy had it. Animals with quirks are super rare, aren't they?"

"Yeah, Neztus, the only one I've ever met," He confirmed, and that got Kirishima thinking.

"Wait, did your quirk work on him?"

"He was our principal and a hero! I wasn't going to try to control him!" Koda exclaimed, shocked to be even asked such a thing.

"Yeah, I guess that would have been a bad thing, huh? Especially with everything we had going on back then." Kirishima chuckled. "Could have gotten us out a lot of detection, though." Koda rolled his eyes while Kirishima sobered up and turned his attention back to the wolf. "Look, I know you don't want to, but your bleeding pretty bad. We need to get you treated." He said earnestly to the wolf. The wolf glanced down at the pool of blood as if considering his words. "You're not going to last much longer like this. We're heroes, our jobs are to save people. Even wolves."

The wolf looked up at him before blinking a few times; it was clear the blood loss was getting to it. The wolf finally nodded, letting its ears relax back to their natural position. "There we go. See, that wasn't so bad, bro." Kirishima smirked. One of the wolf's ears twitched slightly, and it huffed at him. "What?" Kirishima asked innocently, confused by the wolf's change in attitude. The wolf huffed again and looking at Kirishima with what he could only describe as an annoyance. Koda thought about it for a moment replaying Kirishima's words in his head. He could only come to one conclusion.

"Uh, Red. I think he's a she." Koda whisper to him before asking the wolf. "Is that right? You're female, aren't you?" The wolf looked up at Koda before nodding and returning her scowl to Kirishima.

"Oh. My bad." He gave her an apologetic look before she let out a soft bark, accepting the apology. "Ok, well let's get you out of here." The wolf started limping towards him, try to keep her weight her one front leg. After her first few steps, she began to sway heavily. Before either hero could react, the wolf collapsed onto the glass-covered carpet. As they rushed over to her, they could see a large shard of glass that had pierced her right under her shoulder. Blood was pouring from the wound.

"Shit! We got to hurry." Kirishima exclaimed as he picked up the now unconscious wolf as gently as he could, not wanting to cause any further damage. As he lifted her, he couldn't help but notice how light she felt. While he was gathering the wolf, Koda went over and retrieved the villain who was still out. Kirishima almost forgot about him lying over there. Good thing, Koda's here, he thought. If he wasn't, Kirishima would likely to go punch the man again and much harder.

"Let's go. There should still be some vets outside." Koda stated before they quickly made their way downstairs. As soon as they exited the warehouse, Koda spotted the mobile vet van. There had been more when they first arrived, but seeing how most of the animals were in good shape, they must have dismissed them. Luckily for them, they had a straggler, it seemed. Koda pounded on the door until a middle-aged man dressed in scrubs threw the door. The man looked startled as he fixed his glasses to better see the emergency at his door.

"Y-yes?" The man asked apprehensively as he looked at the two heroes over.

"This wolf needs help, she's in bad shape!" Kirishima exclaimed. The vet looked over at the hero carrying the half-dead wolf. As soon as he saw the wolf, his nervousness seemed to vanish. His eyes went from uneasy to focussed in a flash, something that came with years of medical experience. Seeing this, gave the redhead hope for the wolf.

"Please, put it on the table, quickly!" Following the doctor's orders, Kirishima hurried into the van. The vet quickly snapped on a set of blue gloves as Kirishima gently laid the wolf on the stretcher. After he moved so the vet could examine her, he could feel the coolness on his chest from the lack of heat animal provided. The man checked her vitals while moving some of her blood-soaked fur to examine the gaping wound on her side.

"Will she be ok?" Kirishima anxiously asked the vet who was now digging through draws and pulling out a syringe and tiny glass bottle with a clear liquid inside.

"I will do what I can, but it won't make it to the hospital. I will have to perform the surgery here, please wait outside. I need all the room I can get." The man gave him a hard, uncertain look before turning back to the wolf, and injecting her with what he assumed was a sedative.

"Thank you." He said sadly as he hopped out of the van and let the man do his work. As he shut the door, he saw the man put on a surgical mask and reached for the surgical tools.

He walked to the side of the van and let himself lean back against the outside of the warehouse. At some point, he let himself slide down the warehouse and sat down on the hard asphalt. He wasn't sure how long he was sitting there before he spotted Koda, who was making his way back over to him. He didn't have beast king with him anymore, he assumed he had dropped him off with officers.

"She's in good hands now," Koda could see the worry in those bright red eyes and did his best to try and reassure him. "From what an officer told me, the vet refused to leave with the others. Not until every animal was accounted for."

"Really?" He was surprised, and that gave him hope; someone with that kind of determination could save her, couldn't he? Kirishima hoped the man's skills were as strong as his resolve. While they were talking, the hero received a few questionable glances from some passerby's. He looked down at his chest; he was covered in the wolf's blood. He must have looked like a mess Koda saw them looking and waved them off.

"Come on, you need to get that arm checkout," Koda suggested as he motioned over to the ambulance across the parking lot. Oh yeah. He had forgotten about the graze he had gotten. It was on the upper part of his left arm and was still bleeding some. Koda reached his hand out.

"Yeah, I guess I should." The redhead grabbed his hand and pulled himself up. "Hopefully, Bakugou doesn't find out about it, he'll never let me live this down." The redhead sighed. Koda chuckled and nodded; while he was never the target of Bakugou's temper, he'd seen more than his fair share of it from their UA days.


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own BNHA (My Hero Academia) , only the OCs.

Rating is M because I'm not sure what all will happen. Better to be safe than sorry.

Sorry any grammar or spelling errors. I do my best to fix everything but I know I still miss things

Please enjoy :) Feedback is welcome.

"Your all set, Red Riot." The parametric snapped off the rubber gloves, finishing the patch job. The wound from the gunshot wasn't severe but did require a few stitches and would more than likely leave a scar. The injury was nothing compared to what he's had or what he would get in the future. Just another day on the job through the scar would serve as a reminder, hopefully in a good way. He thanked the man as he stepped out of the ambulance. He was greeted by Jirou and Koda, who had waited on him. Apparently, the Operations director sent Jirou over to get them. He wanted an update on everything, so they could start clearing out. With his arm patched up and the blood cleaned off him, he three heroes made their way to the director.

The director, a peppered hair, a stern-faced man in his mid-50s, was talking to a few of his officers as they approached. While most would be working behind a desk at his age, but not him. No, he was out with his men in the field with his units. In his full swat gear, he looked to a force to be reckoned with, but the heroes and anyone else who worked with him knew the truth. He was a kind-hearted and fair man once you got past the swat gear and fierce hard gaze. Today, he was accompanied by his assistant, a young woman with dark hair and glasses. Kirishima had seen her a few times before when filing reports at the director's office, but couldn't remember her name. She has dressed in a swat uniform as well with her hair pulled back, and rather large glasses teetered on the edge of her nose. He quickly dismissed the officers and turned to address the three young heroes.

"Has the warehouse been cleared of all the mercenaries?" He inquired, his gaze focused in on Jirou.

"Yes, sir. I don't hear one else in the warehouse or in the surrounding area that isn't a part of the raid team or hasn't already been captured." Jirou's response was on point and clear.

"Wonderful. And what of the animals?" This question was addressed to Koda.

"Yes, sir. All are sleeping peacefully, minus the one injured wolf. She's being treated by one of the vets right now. One of the officers found the records for each of the animals. From what we can tell, all the animals are accounted for." Koda was quieter then Jirou's, but he spoke as clearly as she did. Kirishima and Jirou were proud of him.

"Once the wolf is cleared, we will have it transported as well." He turned to his assistant, who was quietly taking notes. "Keep the transport on schedule, I do not want to keep the animals pinned any longer than necessary. Make sure the reserves are ready to receive them." His assistant nodded and walked away to make the phone call. "The Beast King has been apprehended, correct?" He asked, looking over to Kirishima.

"Yes, sir. I took him down, and Anima gave him over to the transport team to secure him while I was being treated." Fortunately, Koda told him what he did one the walkover. It would have looked bad if they found out he was too worried about a wolf instead of capturing the villain they worked so hard to bust. He owed Koda big time.

"Excellent. It seems like this is a clean sweep. I am very pleased with the work here tonight, young heroes. Once everything has been squared away, I will be reporting this to the local media and your agencies. I will be giving my full thanks to you and the agency you each represent." He gave them a small smile, showing more wrinkles, before returning to his stern demeanor. His voice was full of authoritative pride. "I look forward to working with any of you again. You're dismissed."

"Thank you, sir," The three said in unison and gave him a quick bow. This was going to make their bosses happy and give them a good reputation in the hero world. Kirishima thought as they watched the director walk off to handle other business.

"I can't thank you two enough for helping me with this." Koda thanked them. "This wouldn't have gone as well if you two hadn't been here."

"No problem. It's a nice change of pace from the normal patrols and assignments." Jirou remarked casually.

"That was awesome, you guys!" Kirishima exclaimed. "We should do missions more often together. We make a manly team!"

"There have been reports of a few other people in town who worked with Beast King. We haven't gotten them yet, so I'll be in town for a little while longer. Maybe we'll get to work together again, or maybe we can hang out.." Koda stammered while fidgeting his hands.

"I'm down to hang out anytime!" Kirishima replied quickly and excitedly. "Definitely gotta work together again too! They mostly stick me with Bakubro on assignments. Don't get me wrong I love working with him, but it's nice to work with others too." Kirishima sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"That's because you and Uraraka are the only ones that can put up with his attitude." She continued with her trademark deadpan look that made him laugh. "I mean, he's not as bad as he was in high school, but still, I don't see how you work with him or how she lives with him." Bakugou had changed quite a bit since their first year at UA, hero life, and just growing up will do that. Though, most of the credit for the last few years goes to Uraraka. After they started dating and she moved in, he was pretty tolerable, well more like he was able to tolerate others now. Though he still had a reputation of being an asshole. The yelling and calling everyone an idiot hasn't changed, but at least he doesn't threaten to blow someone up every 30 seconds. Progress. Hell, just a last month, Bakugou, Todoroki, and Midoriya were in the same room for 10 mins before he threatened either one of them. That's a new record.

"He's not too bad most days. It's just nice to not have to worry about getting blown up while we're after a villain. I swear he's ruined more of my hero costumes then I have." He grinned as that reminded him, "Bakugou got his butt chewed when Best Jeanist started getting invoices from Fat Gum for the replacement materials." The two heroes laughed as he explained the story. He was in the office with Fat gum when Best Jeanist called him about the invoices. Best Jeanist said he will have a talk with Bakugou about it his behavior and stated that the invoices would be paid slowly through deductions from Bakugou's pay. A loud string of yelling and cursing could be heard over the phone as Fat Gum, and Best Jeanist said their goodbyes. Fat Gum told him that Best Jeanist did this to hopefully teach the explosive hero some more self-control. Later, Best Jeanist also sent a design upgrade suggestion to Kirishima suit as an apology for his angry sidekick. It would make it a bit more resident to explosions. "Bakugou was pretty pissed. He's still getting it deducted from his paycheck. I know when his paydays are now because he's extra grumpy at me that day."

While the three of them laughing, the director's assistant approached them. "I-I'm sorry to interrupt, but we are ready to transport the animals. Would you be willing to ride with us until in case they start to wake up, M-Mr. Anima, sir?" The young woman was a bit nervous and stuttering while addressing Koda. Koda just nodded to her, and after a quick wave to Kirishima and Jirou, he left with the assistant. If the redhead wasn't mistaken, he could make out a faint blush on the young woman's face as she walked off the petting hero.

"Well, I guess we were done here. Denki should be getting off work soon, want to grab a bite to eat with us? "Jirou invited. Food sounded good, Kirishima thought. He was still too pumped up to head home now, even given how late it was. It had to be close to 2am.

"Sounds good to me! But can you give me a minute? I want to check on the wolf we found before we head out." The van was still parked across the lot, and he hadn't seen anyone else enter or leave it. He hoped that was a good thing.

"Yeah, sure. Is it true that the wolf has a quirk?" She asked with a curious look on her face.

"Think so. Koda's quirk wouldn't work on her, and she was able to answer basic yes or no questions. Pretty cool, huh?" He beamed.

"Amazing's more like it. Nezu is the only animal I've ever seen with a quirk. Maybe we should give him a call. He might be pretty excited to hear about her." Jirou remarked as they made their way back to the vet van. He wondered how she would react if she met another animal quirk user. She's technically still a wolf even if she has a quirk. Would her quirk override her instincts, or would it be the other way around?

"I don't know, we really don't know what kind of animal Nezu is, and she's a lot bigger than him. Do you think she'd try to eat him?"

"Possibly. How do you know it's female? Don't see a wild wolf staying still long enough for someone to check." She joked.

"Oh, she told us." He chuckled a bit before continuing. "Found out after I called her bro. She didn't like that and huffed at me." He sheepishly smiled at the thought.

"A quirk using wolf with attitude. Nice."

"Oh, she's got more than just attitude. You should have seen her attack, Beast King. She came out of nowhere, even with the shape she was in. Saved my butt. So manly!" He gave the door a hesitant knock, he wasn't sure if they had finished with her yet. The door slowly opened, showing the vet. His scrubs were covered in blood and a few spots showing on his white jacket that had Dr. Diachi embroidered on it. Jirou could see the worry in Kirishima's eyes as he noticed the blood.

"You've returned? Is there something else I can do to help you, hero?" The vet seemed surprised to see Kirishima at the door.

"Yes sir, I wanted to check on her. Is she.." Kirishima trailed off, not really wanting to finish the question.

"The wolf is stable." Dr. Diachi gave him an uncertain look but kept his tone friendly in a professional way. "I'll be transferring it to an animal hospital that works with the zoos here in the city. The equipment there will be more suited for it there. Please inform the director of this if you don't mind." The vet seemed they were there under the director's orders for an update.

"Ahh.. he said he wants to pick her up later. Can we see her?" Kirishima asked, the vet wasn't the friendliest person in the world, but he saved the wolf's life so he could deal.

The vet didn't seem happy but moved aside to let them in while he continued to explain. The two heroes made their way into the van, it gave small creak under the newly added weight. It was roomier than it appeared on the outside, however with the vet, Kirishima, and Jirou, it was too cramped. "I was able to remove the large glass shard along with a few other smaller ones. Luckily, none of the objects pierced anything vital, and I was able to stop the bleeding. You got it here just in time. If it lost any more blood, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to save it with the equipment I have here." Kirishima looked over the wolf who was resting on the gurney now bandaged up and on an IV drip. She was still in rough shape, but for the moment, she looked more at ease.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen a wolf this close up. She's huge." Jirou mumbled as she got closer to examine the wolf.

"They are, and this one should be much bigger." The vet informed her while cleaning his glasses. "This one is severely malnourished." Kirishima cut his eyes at the man before returning his gaze to the wolf.

"But why do that if they planned on selling her?" She pondered. Good question. Kirishima through.

"I can only assume they did this to make it easier to deal with. It would've been fairly strong, given its size." Dr. Diach's tone was indifferent as he theorized. "But once we get to the hospital, we can administer more fluids and start a feeding regimen. I'd estimate another 40 or so lbs should suffice."

"She's down that much?" Kirishima was appalled, from what he felt, that was almost half her body weight.

"It's just an educated guess, but yes, given the wolf's overall size, I'd say that would be the minimum weight it would need to put on." Dr. Diachi stated, and it pissed Kirishima to know she was starved that much.

"Hope those bastards rot in jail for a long time," Jirou grumbled as she looked over the wolf with a mixed with sadness and anger. Kirishima could only grunt in agreement.

"Do you know when she'll wake up?" Kirishima asked, surprising the vet, not expecting the hero to ask such a question.

"Soon. The sedatives will keep it under until we get the hospital and transferred to something more secure. But I must leave soon, so if you would be so kind..." The man gestured to the door.

"We're coming with you," He interrupted, startling the vet. Kirishima looked over and pinned the man with his intense red gaze, which seems to make the man nervous. He didn't mean to come off as hard as he did, but right now, he was at the limits of his temper. The wolf was put through hell, and for what money? That was wrong under any circumstances. Also, the vet contentiously referring her as an 'it,' didn't escape his notice. It was really pissing him off. While he appreciated his skill and professionalism, he could show a bit more bedside manner. The vet gave a long pause as he seemed to be sizing up the hero, ready to argue. Kirishima was currently bent over some so he wouldn't hit his head on the roof of the van. The red hero was an intimidating present, to say the lease. It would be the smart thing to let the hero ride with him and not argue, given the hero's size and mood.

"Red?" Jirou, who was also alarmed by his gaze, intervened. While she knew Kirishima wouldn't hurt the guy, it didn't look like he was going to back down for his request. She could only sigh as she figured what was happening the big-hearted hero.

"She might freak out if she wakes up in a new place, there's no telling what those guys did to her. She might be scared." He pled quickly, knowing that tone in Jirou's voice. While they may not work together, Kaminari and Kirishima hung out a lot. Now that she is dating Kaminari, he had gotten to know her pretty well and vise versa.

"Red, can I talk to you outside for a second?" She put a hand on his arm and lead him to the door. Not really giving him a choice. "We'll be right back." She told the vet who was staring at them, amazed as seeing the huge man being dragged by the much smaller hero.

"Um. Of course?" Was the man's only response. Once they got outside, she crossed her arms over her chest and stared down the redhead.

"Gotta say, Kiri, most would expect Koda to be the one getting attached animals on a mission but not you." Jirou gave him a suspicious look making him flinch.

"I'm a dog person, what can I say? Guess that goes for wolves too." He laughed nervously, but he could tell Jirou wasn't buying it. "Ok, it's just... It pisses me off the way they treated her... and...

"Kirishima.." She tried to interrupt, but he was talking too fast.

"I mean, really, she's a wolf with a quirk... She shouldn't have been treated like that..."

"Kiri..."

"Not that any animal should be treated like that... but you should have seen her, Jirou, every question we ask, she answered."

"...Kiri..."

"She's super smart, and she'll be alone when she wakes up.. She might be scared..."

"...Kiri..."

"And the way that asshole in there keeps calling her and 'it'" He murmured.

"Eijirou!" Using his given name finally got his attention. "Easy. I get it concerned for her. I am too. But you have to remember Dr. Diachi in there is a professional, he does this for a living." She paused for a moment. "I'm sure that even with her having a quirk, they will be able to handle her. Yes, the guy could use some better bedside manners, but he did save her in there.

"I know It's just... she listened to me... "He said softly, rattled on. "She wouldn't listen to anyone else, and she saved me... What those guys did to her was wrong..." He sighed. "I know this looks bad, but... She helped me, and I just want to help her..."

"I'm not judging you for it. Believe me, I want to help her too. "Her words were firm but gentle. "She listened to you because of her quirk.. you need to remember that.. at the end of the day, quirk or not, she is still a wolf, not a dog up for adoption." She hated to be hard on him, but she needs to make sure this was clear to him. "You realized that, right?"

"No, no, no. You got me all wrong. I wasn't thinking about that. I'm just worried, that's all! I mean, her quirk makes her really smart. What if she wakes up and freaks out. I-We should be there just in case, to you know, protect the vets." He explained while trying to avoid her gaze. He wasn't completely lying. What he said could happen. You'd think after being friends with the guy for years, she would have been immune to him, but she, like everyone else, had a soft spot for the lovable redhead. She could only sigh in defeat as she put her hands on her hips.

"Ok fine. I guess you do make a point. But only until she wakes up, if she's ok and doesn't panic, we leave. Got it?" She said sternly while holding up one of her earphones pointing it right at him. "This isn't like the time you found a stray kitten outside the school. This is a full, grown wild wolf. Not something you can bring home. Ok?" She remembered when he snuck the kitten into the dorms on that rainy day. Once he got passed the teachers, it was easy to convince everyone else to keep quiet about it. All it took was a sad cry from the kitten and round of puppy dogs eyes from him. Honestly, the guy could get away with anything. Even Bakugou kept quiet about it, but only if they agreed to keep the 'furball off his shit' as he put it.

It didn't take Mr. Aizawa long to find out about the kitten, about 2 days. Kirishima had tried to convince them it was a stuffed animal from Koda's room when they came around to do checks. Kirishima got double homework for two weeks and forbid Bakugou or anyone else from helping him with it. She was surprised he didn't get a worse punishment. But they say Aizawa is a cat person, and that was the only reason Kirishima got off as easy, at least in Aizawa's eyes. None of the other students got punished, but they had to watch how missable Kirishima was after they took the kitten away; he moped around for a week. He got attached way too quickly. While his quirk made his body hard as stone and damn near unbreakable, it did nothing for his heart. He's still a big softy on the inside. He was always there to help out or protect anyone in need. Whether it be a friend, a stranger on the street, or in this case, a wolf.

Kirishima grinned at her thanking her before opening the door and jumping back into the med van.

"Let's go, doc!" Kirishima announced as he took a seat next to the wolf, buckling up. Jirou couldn't help but chuckle as she hopped back into the van with them, shutting the door behind her. It was funny to see him acting like this. While he may tower over everyone now and built like a brick wall, he still had that cheerfully and bright personality. The vet did not look too happy about his two extra guests and began to protest some.

"While I do appreciate your enthusiasm and your dedication... "He paused as if choosing his next words carefully. "I assure you I am more than qualified to handle the transportation and treatment of the wolf." He looked over to Jirou, hoping she would be the voice of reason. The vet had come to the conclusion that anything he said to the red giant would fall on deaf ears, and the look Kirishima gave him confirmed that. But before Kirishima could speak, Jirou spoke up.

"It's just a precaution, sir. Given that you were able to save HER, we don't doubt your skills, and while you have handled many wolves, SHE is a special case." Jirou made sure to keep her tone friendly enough, but she emphasized every one to refer to her gender. The vet got the point as he sighed in defeat. Knowing the one person who would have to listen to him, had sided against him.

"Very well. I must prepare it-," Dr. Diachi corrected. "Her for travel, then we will be off." His voice was harder than before, but still professional. He had also seemed to get the point she made earlier about calling her an 'it'. Smart man. The vet quickly strapped the wolf down to the gurney before reaching in a cabinet above him, pulling something made of blue fabric. Kirishima was watching the man intensely, but as the vet started to bring the item towards the wolf's head, he realized what it was.

"With two heroes here, that won't be necessary." The red heroes' words were just above a whisper, but the threat was there. There was no way in hell; he was going to let the vet muzzle her. While it wasn't nearly as cruel-looking as the ones the villains used, it was still a muzzle. The man smartly put the muzzle away and made his way to the front. Jirou saw the whole thing but didn't comment, she quietly took her seat across from him. Once she was buckled, they were off to the hospital.


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own BNHA (My Hero Academia), only the OCs.

Rating is M because I'm not sure what all will happen. Better to be safe than sorry.

Sorry for any grammar or spelling errors. I do my best to fix everything but I know I still miss things

Please enjoy :) Feedback is welcome.

Like most of the ambulance rides Kirishima partook in, it was rough and uncomfortable. Anything that wasn't tied down bounded, clattered, or was flung around the van. He ended up checking on the wolf a few times, worried that the trip would wake her or somehow make her wounds worse. However, the sedatives seemed to be doing an excellent job of keeping her under despite the rough journey. Since no one was talking, primary due to the tension between the arrogant driver and a redheaded hero, Kirishima sent a quick update text Fat Gum. Thankfully Jirou remembered to grab their phones and clothes before they left. He was supposed to report back in after the assignment. Hopefully, he wouldn't get in trouble for being so late.

Text Message from Kirishima to Fat Gum

**Kirishima**: Hey, you up?

**Takoyaki King:** Yep. Just got off the phone with the director.

**Takoyaki King:** Solid work! He was super pleased with the work you did!

**Takoyaki King:** Where ya at?

**Takoyaki King:** I got some Takoyaki to celebrate!

**Takoyaki King: **Better hurry up before I eat it all! :)

**Kirishima:** Sorry, and thank you. We're escorting a vet with one of the animals from the raid to the animal hospital. After we make sure they get there ok, I'll be on my way in. :D

**Takoyaki King:** Oh, ok. Which one?

**Kirishima:** Not sure. The ass-

He paused and backspaced over his choice name for the man driving.

**Kirishima: **Not Sure. The vet said it's one in the city that works with the local zoo, so maybe it's close to it?

**Takoyaki King: **Not ringing any bells. Hang on.

Kirishima could only guess he was looking up where it was. Honestly, Kirishima didn't even know where it was, even though he does live and patrol here. With his work life as a hero, he really didn't have time to get out much, and since he didn't have any pets, he didn't need a vet. Hell, he couldn't even remember the last time he had a date. Maybe if he did meet someone, he'd take them to a zoo. A zoo date sounded fun and manly.

_**Bing** _

**Takoyaki King:** Oh, I know where that is. There's a barbecue restaurant not far from there. They have some of the best beef barbecue in the city. [3 beef emojis]

**Takoyaki King:** Can you pick me up some on the way in?

**Kirishima:** uhhh... It's the middle of the night, I think they're closed. O.o

**Takoyaki King:** :'( Damn it.

**Takoyaki King:** The director also said somethin about an animal with a quirk?

**Kirishima:** Yeap. A wolf [wolf and moon emoji]. Anima and I found her. She's suuupper smart. She's the animal we are escorting. :D

**Takoyaki King:** A wolf, huh? Send a pic!

**Takoyaki King:** Animals with quirks are rare. Good find :).

**Takoyaki King:** Also, I may have eaten all the takoyaki... :(

**Kirishima:** Thanks!

**Kirishima:** It's all good!

Kirishima quickly snaps a picture of the wolf using the front camera on his phone before sending it. He was surprised Fat Gum wanted a picture. Maybe he was an animal person too? Kirishima wondered. It's something he'd ever asked the BMI hero.

**Kirishima:** _Picture sending..._

**Kirishima:** I think we're pulling up to the hospital. I'll talk to you later.

**Takoyaki King:** K. Seeya later!

Kirishima felt the van come to a jerky halt as the vet put it park and unbuckled.

"We will be transporting her to the isolation ward, it will be the most suitable place for her, given her condition." Dr. Diachi announced firmly as he stood, obviously still upset with the heroes.

No doubt, there would be a complaint to their agencies later. Kirishima only nodded to the vet before looking over to the wolf seeing her tail twitch slightly. The sedatives must have been wearing off, the vet must have noticed as well. "We will need to hurry." The vet quickly detached the IV from its hook and opened the doors of the van. The heroes stood out of the way as they watched the man handle the gurney like a pro as quickly made their way inside the hospital.

The vet said the hospital dealt with animals from the local zoo, but from the looks of the outside of it, you wouldn't have guessed it. It was a small building set in an urban area of the city. Honestly, if he hadn't been driven there, he probably would have missed it. While the outside lacked, the inside was a different story. The equipment looked pristine and expensive. Given the buzzer sound behind him as the door to the outside shut, it was well secured too. While he didn't care for the doctor's attitude, he did have to give credit to the medical facility he had brought her to. It was just as nice as any human hospital he'd been to.

After a few twists and turns down a few hallways, they finally made it to the isolation ward. It was a large room with six cells that had to be about 8ft x 8ft. The doors and ceilings were large metal bars, while the walls were thick concrete slabs (not including the front of the cells). The room was as nice and well equipped as anything else in the hospital; however, Kirishima was not happy. She was just being taken from one cage to another. Granted, it was a really nice cage, but it still didn't change what it was. Jirou could immediately see the disappointing anger in his eyes and quietly pulled him aside while the vet continued to make his way to one of the cells.

"What's wrong?" She chided, getting frustrated with the hero.

"She's just being moved to another cage." The redhead mumbled

"Kirishima… we talked about this.." Jirou lowered her voice. "I know it seems cruel, but they have to put her somewhere. This is for her safety and the safety of the staff here." She tried to convince the hero. He knew it was the right thing, he just didn't like it. While they were talking, the vet made his way back over to them, pushing the now empty gurney. Kirishima gave the man a quick glare before looking over to where he put the wolf. The cell was way bigger than the one he found her in. It had a large bed for her along with two metal bowls that currently paid empty in the far corner.

"I know it's right, but I still don't like it." He pouted some as he walked past the vet over to the cell where the vet had placed her. The wolf on the bed still out. The IV still steadily dripping as it hung from a hook higher up in the cell. The tube, which the man must have changed, was longer than the previous one, giving her room to move around. He had to admit, she did look more comfortable than before. After a few gurney trips himself, he knew they weren't the best thing in the world to lay on. Jirou stepped away to talk to the vet, but he couldn't really hear them, nor did he really care. Under the fluorescent lights of the room, he could finally get a good look at the wolf. While he knew how skinny she was from when he picked her up, you wouldn't know it from looking at her from a distance. Her thick black fur did an excellent job of hiding it. Though now that he was looking at her, he could see a few matted places in her coat, no doubt from the dried blood. Her fur was coarser than any dog he had ever felt; he wondered if that's because of her being a wolf or the malnourishment.

"Once her wounds are healed, and she's healthier, she will be moved to the exercise yard. That way, she will have more room, but for now, she will have to stay here." Kirishima finally zeroed in on the conversation behind him when he heard the vets frustrated sigh. It seems Jirou was pestering him about her current housing condition. "Now, if you'll excuse me for a moment, I need to get cleaned up." He grumbled as he pushed the gurney out and left the room.

"Well, you heard him. At least she won't be stuck in here too long, I hope." Jirou grumbled as she walked over next to him, looking over the wolf. "She has had it rough, hasn't she?"

"Yeah." He mumbled some before letting out a puff of air. "Thanks for dealing with that guy. I don't think it would be a good idea for me to talk to him."

"Agreed." She meant that honestly. She's known Kirishima for a long time, so she knew he wouldn't really hurt the guy. But the vet was a civilian who didn't know him as Kirishima, only as of the unbreakable hero, Red Riot. A young up and coming star in the hero world known to charge into battle against even the toughest villains. "The guy's asshole, but we have to trust him. While his people skills could use some work, it does seem like he cares about her health."

"I know. Sorry, I'm being a pain." He apologized. "It's just, she's been put through so much already - ." A soft whimpered from the cage, interrupted him. "Hey, I think she's coming around." He exclaimed before walking closer to the side she was laying on, crouching down.

Another whimper and grumbled came from the sleeping wolf before one of her green eyes peeked open. Jirou, while still annoyed with Kirishima, walked up beside him but stayed standing. The wolf blinked a few times before those green eyes popped up wide in panic. She was looking around but seemed a bit confused as she tried to stand up only to fall back down when her back legs refused to move. The sedative must not have completely worn off yet, the redhead thought, as he watched the wolf struggle to shake off the drugs.

"Easy. It's ok. You're safe now." Kirishima said gently to the wolf. At his words, the wolf seems to focus on him and tried to stand again. "No, don't stand up, stay laying down. If you move too much, you might reopen your wounds" The wolf stops mid push and slowly laid back down, not taking her eyes off him. "Good girl. You don't have to worry. You're at a hospital right now. Your safe those guys won't be able to hurt you anymore." Jirou was shocked when she saw the wolf nod at him. Jirou shifted her weight from one leg to the other as she watched in the interaction between the two. That slight movement was enough to let the wolf know he wasn't alone. The wolf looked up quickly at her and let out a weak growl. Kirishima immediately scolded the wolf, some at her reaction to Jirou. "No, let's not do that. This is Earphone Jack, she's a hero like me and Anima. You can trust her. She a good friend." The wolf stopped growling instantly before giving her a once over. The wolf gave the purple-haired hero an apologetic whine and nod before her gaze returned Kirishima.

"Wow, she really can understand us," Jirou commented before looking the wolf over carefully. While Jirou didn't spend much time around animals, most had a far off or dull look in their eyes. This wolf didn't. No, her eyes were sharp and focused. "I see what you mean about her eyes."

"Told ya!" He beamed at Jirou before looking back to the animal. "So, I know you just woke up, but how are you feeling?" He asked the wolf before giving one of his trademark grins. The wolf nodded slightly and gave a grumbled bark before coughing some. "What's wrong?" The wolf then slowly rose up and stood somewhat unsteady. "Hey! No, you need to stay lying down." He panicked by her movements, but Jirou could only watch. The wolf then slowly made her way over to the two empty silver bowls on the other side of the cage. With one dish in her mouth, she made her way to them, limping and unbalanced. She let her backside fall to the ground and whined a bit, before placing the bowl gently in front of the red hero. The wolf kept her head down as if she was pleading. The scene shattered the heroes' hearts. Food. She was begging for food.

"Don't worry, we'll get you lots of food. You're not going to go hungry with us around." Kirishima whispered sadly and without even thinking about it, reached in and softly rubbed the wolf's head. Jirou was stunned. A wild wolf, even one with a quirk, shouldn't let itself be petted like this. "Hey, Jirou can you go ask the doctor if he can get her some food and water in her?" He asked while still stroking the wolf's head.

"Uh, sure." She marveled, unsure of what she was seeing. "He may not let her eat much right away with the sedatives still in her system, but I'll try to push for it." Guess he has a way with animals, or the sedatives were affecting her more than they thought. Jirou left the two to find the vet. After she departed, Kirishima realized he was petting her, and she was letting him.

"Sorry, you probably don't get a lot of human contact, huh?" He stopped petting her, and she just looked up at him shaking her head no. "Well, thank you for trusting me." He smiled before reaching into a pouch he had on his belt. "She's probably right about them not feed you much." He informed her before speaking softer just in case they were being watched. "But I'm not going to let you go hungry. That wouldn't be mainly. " His hand found the objects he always kept on him; two protein bars. While his quirk didn't require food like Fat Gum or Suneater, he now had a habit of keeping some food on him, just in case. Luckily he ran out of the chocolate ones and had some berry flavored ones instead. He hoped they didn't make her sick. "I'm going to give you these, but you gotta eat them slowly, ok? Don't want to throw them back up. Then we'd be busted for sure." He grinned before unwrapping the first one. The wolf nodded and licked her lips as she smelled the bar. Breaking off a small piece beforehand feeding it to her. She devoured it and licked his hand afterward in search of any crumbs. "Hey, I said, slowly, remember?" He scolded her lightly before breaking off another piece. This time she went slower as she ate and couldn't help but wag her tail as the food hit her empty stomach. He praised her that time. Slowly but surely, she finished both bars before Jirou could return with the vet. He quickly hid the wrapper back in his pocket just as they entered. Jirou caught the movement but said nothing.

"Ah. I see she's awake." The vet commented as he gave the wolf a once over. The wolf seemed unnerved by him and watched him closely, but she didn't growl this time.

"So doc, when do you think she can get some food?"

"Well.. you see.." The vet was choosing his words carefully. "Like I just explaining to Ms. Earphone Jack, I would like to wait before feeding her." He informed the now pissed looking hero but quickly added. "Only until morning, that way, the sedatives will be completely out of her system. As malnourished as she is, she is at a higher risk for making herself sick or sending her system into shock. In my medical opinion, it would be best for her to wait!" Jirou, who was standing slightly behind the vet, gave a look which said to lighten up. The hearing hero could help but think he's been hanging out with Bakugou to much. While he wasn't as abrupt as the explosive hero, he was proving he could be just as intimidating. After a quick glance between the vet and his friend, he sighed in defeat before looking over to the wolf.

"Will you be alright until morning for food?" He asked her, giving her a slight wink that only she would be able to see. She looked up at him before giving a grumbled bark and nod. "Good girl." He smiled, reaching back in and gave her head a light scratch before turning to Jirou, who was still looking at him with a suspicious look.

"Red, remember the promise you made earlier? It's time to go. We still need to stop by our agencies to report in. I would like to get home sometime before sun up." Jirou crossed her arms, giving him a pointed look.

"Ok, Ok." He said sadly before looking back to the wolf. "You be good; I'll try to come back tomorrow to see how you're doing." He then turned to the vet with a stern gaze. "If that's ok?"

"Y-yes. Of course, but wait until the afternoon. She needs rest, and I don't want anything agitating her condition." He stuttered,

no doubt knowing the threat of a visit was to make sure she was being fed.

"I'll see you later, rest up, ok?" The wolf whined a bit and stood up as he did, albeit a bit slower. She then followed him to the other end of the cage as he walked over to Jirou, who was stunned to see the wolf so docile. Kirishima looked over his shoulder at the wolf to give her a final reassuring grin. The vet quietly moved out of the way and watched the two heroes leave, finally taking a deep breath before glancing over at the wolf. Only when the vet heard the buzzing out the outside door, did his body fully relax.

"You better be worth the trouble." The man scowled at the rare animal, that was now in his possession.


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own BNHA (My Hero Academia) , only the OCs.

Rating is M because I'm not sure what all will happen. Better to be safe than sorry.

Sorry for any grammar or spelling errors. I do my best to fix everything but I know I still miss things

Please enjoy :) Feedback is welcome. 

Kirishima stretched, letting out a deep yawned as he sauntered out Fat Gum's agency. Now back in civilian clothes, he could feel the strain of the day. He was exhausted and aching all over. After he and Jirou left the animal hospital, they decided to take a raincheck on food, opting to call Kaminari to take them back to their agencies instead. Of course, while waiting on their ride, the hearing hero began questioning him about his alone time with the wolf. Kirishima tired to play dumb he really did, but he was a terrible liar, and while he was trying to avoid her gaze and her questions, she attacked. Searching for whatever he was trying to hide from her and the veterinarian earlier. And of course, Kaminari would take that moment to pull up. Just in time to see his sharp-toothed best friend getting frisked by his girlfriend until she found what she was looking for. The wrappers from the two protein bars he fed the wolf. With the evidence in hand, he confessed. The entire car ride back to the agency was a lecture from Jirou as Kaminari just laughed. The blonde was glad for once it wasn't him on the receiving end. About halfway through the ride, the redhead spaced out until he saw he stop coming up. Before Kaminari could even get the car to a complete stop, Kirishima jumped out, calling a farewell to his friends practically running inside. Once inside, he sighed now safe from Jirou's wrath. No doubt, he would still hear about it, but hopefully, Kaminari could calm her down some before then.

The report and debriefing took a bit longer than he expected, and it was almost morning as he made his way to his apartment. Luckily for him, his place was only a few blocks away. So with earphones in, Kirishima started his trek home. In the twilight hours of dawn, there weren't many people on the streets, so it gave him time to check on the friends. Everyone from his class had gone on to become heroes. Most stayed local or were still in Japan, at least. Others like Midoriya and Todoroki were traveling abroad, training, and working with heroes around the world. News articles of their heroism flooded his email. _The rainy season hero Froppy saves stranded fishermen. The taping hero Cellophane has villains all tied up. Hero Deku smashing through American Hero Ranks with Hero Shoto hot on his heels._ The headlines go on and on. Everyone was working hard to be the best hero they can be, while some were aiming for the top spots. After catching up on the stories, and sending a few congrats emails, he was finally back at his apartment building.

It wasn't anything extravagant, but it was secure and affordable. The managers of the building specialized in housing heroes and had an outstanding reputation. He was lucky to get in. Places like this were hard to come by and even harder to get into. He moved in about a year ago, but he knew about the building itself beforehand, seeing how Bakugou and Uraraka lived there as well. He headed over to their place when he saw boxes stacked outside of the neighboring apartment. While having lunch, she explained how Bakugou ran off another neighbor. Apparently, the neighbor had lasted a whole six months before the man couldn't handle living next to the 'expressive' hero anymore. Hell, from what the brunette heroine told him, they even added extra insulation before the man moved in, to help dampen the sounds through the shared wall. But even that didn't seem to be enough for the man next door. He could sympathize with the neighbor. After rooming next to the explosive hero during their days at UA, he could understand. He wasn't the easiest person to work with, let alone live next, too. After thinking it over, Kirishima decided he might try for the place. Kirishima knew his lease was almost up. So he contacted the building manager and scheduled for a showing the following week. The manager, a young woman, was slightly hesitant when he asked about that particular apartment but agreed. According to her, he was having issues keeping tendance in that apartment, for some reason. The lady didn't go into details, but he knew it was because the only happened to be next door to a hero who was known to have a foul temper and blow things up.

The apartment was a spacious two-bedroom, two-bath spread. Both bedrooms were spacious and included walk-in closets. But it was the bathroom in the master bathroom that sold him. It was fully equipped with a walk-in shower and a large soaking tub, both of which were made from a black stone-like material. The shower head was a tall rainfall style that was perfect for him. With his height, most showers and tubs were too short for him but not those. After the showing, he signed the papers on the spot.

He didn't tell Bakugou and Uraraka right away that he got the place. Instead, he decided to surprise them one day. He knew they'd be gone on a week-long assignment and used that time to move into his new home. After they returned, he used an excuse that while he was cleaning, he found something of the blondes' and wanted to return it. He told them to come to his new place and check it out. His best bud was confused when he was sent his own address, albeit a different unit number. It took him some time before he heard a loud banging on his door along with a feminine voice at his door. He simply opened the door to greet his new neighbors, who were dumbfounded to see the grinning Kirishima in the doorway.

They were shocked but thrilled as they learned who would be living next door to them. Well, at least Uraraka seemed excited. She had been worried about getting kicked because of all the complaints. But knew with Kirishima as a neighbor, they had nothing to worry about. Her and Kirishima had gotten pretty close over the years and even closer since she started dating Bakugou. They like to think of each other as siblings they never had. Which spelled trouble for the blonde when they ganged up on him. Whether it be the gravity's hero's sensible words or the sturdy hero's hard fist, one of them was bound to get through to him.

Bakugou seemed indifferent about it but later mentioned that at least now Uraraka won't bitch at him for being too loud. Uraraka was already apologizing for anything he might hear, and that just made the redhead laugh. Telling her not to worry and joked about how he sleeps like a rock. Kirishima was happy to be living next to his best bud again. They'd hang out, workout, and sometimes the blonde would invite him over for dinner. Although the kind gesture was usually followed by a jab at how hopeless Kirishima was in the kitchen. Everything was fine for the first week or so.

But soon, Bakugou realized why having Kirishima was bad news for him. It had nothing to do with his redheaded best friend. No, it was the entourage that use to follow him around all through high school; The Bakusquad. Mina, Sero, Kaminari, and Jirou. Kirishima had one, if not all, of them over to hang out as often as he could. And somehow they always managed to find their way over to Bakugou's place. They annoyed him just as much now as highschool, and what pissed him off more was when Uraraka lets them in after he locked the door and refusing to answer. Eventually, they would migrate back to Kirishima's place after a few death threats, but he never hurts them. Well… he did blow Kiminiar up a few times… but it wasn't too serious.

Kirishima couldn't help but snicker at the memory as he rode the elevator up to his floor. Life was pretty good for the young hero. He had amazing friends, a great career, good health. Some would think he was living the dream. But there was still something missing in his life. He flung open the door to his apartment to breathe in a sigh of relief, glad to be home — even an empty one. One of the main reasons he liked having his best bud next door or having his friends over was because he hated the silence of his home. True, it was nice to have time to himself every once in a while. But the feeling of others around him made him feel better than coming home to nothing but his furniture to keep him company.

After kicking off his shoes, locking the door behind him, he made he was over to the bedroom and into the bathroom. While the bed was tempting, he needed a shower first. He turned on the shower and quickly stripped while waiting for the water to warm up. Maybe he needs to find a roommate, he pondered. He'd considered getting a dog at one point, but given his work schedule, it didn't seem fair for the animal. He was working five to six days a week and long shifts at that. He didn't want to neglect the poor thing or trouble his friends. There was the option of a cat, bird, or fish (if he was desperate), but in his heart, he was a dog person. Not that there was anything wrong with the others, he loves all animals really, but he has a preference. He sighed while stepping into the scolding water that rained from the showerhead above him. Typically, he kept the temperature warm but not too hot. His quirk could leave his skin damaged or sensitive after extended use, but tonight he needed the heat. It was a deep aching that only hot water and a good night's sleep could relieve.

While he scrubbed, his mind wandered back to the topic at hand. His other option was to get a girlfriend or something, but he knew that would go up in flames. Similar to the pet idea, he worked too much to and be neglectful to his significant other. His last two relationships were proof enough of that. The civilian broke up with him because of his work. She said she couldn't handle the stress of him being a hero and getting hurt all the time, plus they never got to see each other. The other one, a hero like him, called it off because she had a better job opportunity in another city. Neither relationship lasted more than three months, and he hadn't been with anyone else since. Maybe he just needed to get laid to kill the lonely itch.

Kirishima stayed in the shower until the water got too cold for his liking. As he stepped out, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the bathroom mirror. One of the perks to being a hero was it kept him in great shape. He kept himself well-muscled without it being too much. He didn't want to be like one of those guys that couldn't even scratch his own back. So he tried to keep it himself balanced out. Given his job and quirk, he needed to be strong to handle whatever villains through his way. Though most thought twice before throwing down with him, at over 6ft tall, villains tend to run than stand and fight him like a man.

After drying his body, he used the towel to wipe the steam off his mirror and got a closer look at his face and hair. He still had his signature red hair though now it was a little longer, brushing over his shoulders. He would need to get it cut soon; he didn't like it getting too long since he had to spike and dye it regularly. It made it too much to manage some days. In high school, he used to keep his hair spike all the time, but now, he only spikes it when he's out as Red Riot. This also made it easier to blend in when he was out in public as a civilian. Leaving his hair down or tying it back enabled him to blend in. Well, as much as a tall buff guy with flaming red hair can.

As he made a mental note to visit a barber later, he started to inspect his five o'clock shadow beginning to show. The fine yet thick black hairs were a dead giveaway to his natural hair color. This was the main reason he kept himself as clean-shaven as he did. That and it itched like crazy. He already had one scar on his face because of his quirk — no reason to add to the collection. He'd deal with that in the morning. He finished up with a quick blow-dry on his hair before heading to bed. There was an upside to living alone; he could walk butt naked all he wanted — saved on laundry. He flopped down on his soft mattress letting his body sink into the comfort his California king bed provided. He wasn't the kind of person to live a high-end lifestyle; his modest apartment was proof enough of that, but he would splurge on some things. Large couches, TV, some exercise equipment and other things. But the best example was his bed. It was large enough for him to stretch out and not worry about hanging off the bed, and it was super soft. His quirk may have made his body as hard as a rock, but it doesn't mean he likes sleeping on one. Before he knew it, he drifted off to sleep.

Kirishima came awake to a loud ringing echoing through his bedroom. While most days he was fine with his ringtone, today though, he contemplated if he would even need his quirk to destroy his nosy device. Groggily he reached over to silence the alarm on his phone, assuming he must have forgotten to turn his alarm off. The high pitched ring stopped, giving Kirishima about ten seconds of tranquil before it started again. He reached over and grabbed his phone to turn the thing off until he noticed it wasn't an alarm; it was a call. Koda's name (Pet Detective) flashed across his phone.

"It's way too early, bro…" Kirishima answered the phone drowsily. While it may have been 10 am, he didn't get home till close to 7 am and couldn't have been asleep for more than two hours.

"I'm sorry. I know you got home late, but I can't get Jirou to answer, and it's really important." Koda's voice came through softly but frantic. That was enough to pull Kirishima out of his sleepy haze.

"What's up?"

"The vet from last night, you know the one who treated the wolf? Did you happen to get his name by any chance?"

"Uh. Yeah... it was... Daichi, I think. Guy was a real asshole." He ran his hand through his bed head as he thought back through the events last night. "Why?"

"Remember how I told you last night there were still a few people in town working with Beast King? Well, the director questioned the villains this morning; one let it slip that they were working with a vet who works with the local zoo." He sat straight up as he listened to every word the shy hero was saying to him. "He called the zoo, and they only work with one clinic, owned by a Dr. Daichi. The director went to question him at his home, but he wasn't there." The petting hero's words were enough to complete rouse Kirishima from his sleepy state as he sat straight up.

"What about the clinic?" He feared the answer, but not being able to stop himself from asking. Kirishima's voice came out harder then he meant, but he was mad. No hero liked being that close to a villain and them getting away.

"They checked there too. The staff hasn't seen him today, and he isn't picking up his phone. When they checked his office, it looked like he left in a hurry."

"And the wolf?" His voice was strained, something no doubt the hero on the other end noticed. The soft-spoken hero's words cut him deeper than the anger he felt about the vet.

"She's gone. I'm sorry."


	5. Chapter 5

Kirishima was dressed and out his front door in record time. As he flew down the stairs and into the lobby, he wondered if he even locked his door. Of course, he wasn't too worried about getting robbed. Seriously, who in their right mind would steal from a hero's home? Though he would send a text to Bakugou later, just to be on the safe side. He gave a quick greeting to the office attendant who didn't really pay him much mind as he rushed passed her. Luckily, people running out of the building wasn't anything new to the office workers. The building housed many heroes, so someone sprinting out the doors wasn't anything new. At least he was leaving at a decent time, this time. He finally slowed down some once he got the busier street a block away. He held down a cab that was just about to pass him by and gave the driver the address to the clinic. Koda only told him that he would 'fill him in when he got there and to get there quickly'. Typically, Kirishima walked or took the bus wherever he needed, but right now, he was in a hurry. The longer he took, the further away the vet got, and Kirishima didn't have a doubt in his mind, he took the wolf with him.

Kirishima paid the fare for the cab before hopping out to meet Koda in front of the clinic he had just been a few hours ago. While the parking lot was empty last night, it was full of vehicles this morning. Police cars and vans were scattered throughout the lot with a few officers and one familiar hero in front of the clinic. Koda, who was still dressed in his hero costume, cut the conversation with an officer short as he greeted his buddy.

"Anything?" Kirishima demanded as he approached the taller hero.

"There's an APB on him, but nothing yet.

"When was he last seen?"

"Don't know. The technician came in around eight-thirty this morning, but Diachi wasn't in. The guy panicked when he saw the mess in the office and isolation room and was on the phone with the police when the director showed up. He was just about to call the police when the director arrived looking for Diachi. That was about nine."

"We left here around six this morning. Three hours is a hell of a head start. Any leads on where he would have gone?"

"No. From what they gathered from the villains last night, the vet was an information broker for Beast King. The director thinks he might try to use those contacts as a means to escape."

"He knew. That's why he stayed after all the other vets left last night, he knew about the animals from the traders and knew we'd be busting them." He whispered as he fumed over the realization. No one even questioned why the vet stayed after everyone else left. His role wasn't to help the injured animals; no, it was to find out where they were being taken. "No doubt, he found out the information. It was all over the coms last night. Then he was just handed the most valuable one. Might as well have been on a silver platter."

"When the police checked his home, clothes, and a couple of bags were missing. Anything of value was taken with him. Given the fact, we captured all the villains, at least one would turn on him. You need a good bit of money to leave like that and probably figured if he sells her, he could disappear. Honestly, I can't even imagine what kind of price he would get for her. Or at the very least, he could use her as a bargaining chip." Koda said sadly.

"And I just handed her to him. FUCK!" The outburst was loud enough to catch the police officer outside attention before they wisely went back to their business.

"Easy, Kirishima. I know it's frustrating, but you need to calm down. The director is already working on tracking him. Let's go in and talk to him. Maybe he's found something." Koda seemed taken aback by his anger but understood. As heroes, it was their job to help everyone, and to just hand an innocent, even an animal off to a villain, was shameful.

Ducking under the crime scene tape, they made their way through the lobby, where two staff members were being questioned by the authorizes. The two heroes felt bad for them. They were both looked to be about their age, pale as ghosts, and one looked almost in tears. Turning down a few hallways, Kirishima felt his heart drop as he saw the first signs of a struggle. Heavy blood drops laid in the entranceway of the isolation ward. _Shit. She fought back._That had to be it. The heroes carefully stepped around the taped off areas of the floor and were greeted by the operations director. Though Kirishhima knew the man hadn't been home or rested from last night's actives, he looked refreshed as someone who had a full night's sleep. Sipping his coffee as he was giving directions to the CSI taking pictures of the room.

"Heroes, thank you for coming as quickly as you did." He greeted them before turning his attention to Kirishima. "I have a few questions for you, Red Riot. I understand that you and Earphone Jack escorted the wolf with Dr. Diachi here last night, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Tell me everything that happened last night. Be as detailed as possible."

Kirishima went into full ramble mode as he recalled everything that happened from the time he and Jirou went to check on the wolf till the moment they left. He even told them how he got to pet her and fed her, maybe that was unnecessary, but he didn't want to leave out anything. The director was a brilliant man with decades of experience under his belt. If anyone would be able to find them, it was the man in front of him. If it meant them finding the vet and wolf, Kirishima would tell the man anything at this point. By the time Kirishima was done recalling everything, he was gritting his teeth and clenching his fist. He was angry at the vet, the villains, but most of all, himself. He was furious at himself for being tricked, but he also felt horrible because he also dragged Jirou into this. Not only did he make himself look bad, but Jirou too. He knew he shouldn't have followed the man, but he couldn't help it. The guilt must have been apparent on his face because the director's eyes soften before he spoke to the young hero.

"You shouldn't beat yourself up over this, Red Riot. No one could have predicted the vet's motives until it was too late."

"But I... I ...he got away.." Kirishima was shaking with fury.

"Rest assured, we will find him, and it will be thanks to your actions." The director's words were firm before he gave the redhead a slight smirk. " In fact, after hearing your side of the story, I believe we stand the best chance at catching him and retrieving the wolf." Kirishima was shocked as listen to the director's words. He handed the target to villain, how in the hell did help in any way?

The director could see disbelieve in the hero's eyes and decided that he may need a visual explanation. "Take a look around you. What do you see?" For the first time since the sturdy hero walked into the room, he took a good look at the scene around him. The wolf's cage was open with a blood trail that led from the bed to the counter across the room. Bloody handprints stained the countertops and drawers. A small tranquilizer gun was left sitting out on the counter, along with some bandages. Back over at the cage, he could see the wolf's bed was shredded, and cotton was scattered about the enclosure. The IV bag still hung on the hook but looked to have been ripped during a struggle.

"Umm..." While he was a hero and heroes did have to do some investigation work, he wasn't the best at it. He was a combat guy through and through.

"A mess. A big one. Dr. Diachi is a smart man, able to work with both police and villains without raising suspicion. I have no doubts that he was there to gather information and had someone on call for that information. When he got the wolf, he would have called the seller and took it straight there for a bonus. Then he would have fled the country before we even realized his involvement. The clock was ticking for him the moment we got the villains into integration, and he would have known that. He needed to get the wolf and get out of town fast," The older man smirked before he continued. "but you insisted on coming with him. He was forced to change his plan and come back here. You were running his clock down faster, making him get sloppy." He paused. "You then wanted to make sure she was ok and waited until she woke up before leaving? That's something he wasn't expecting. So, instead of a sedated wolf, he had to deal with an alert one. And given the report from you and the villains, she was smart and a fighter. She gave him a hard time, that much is obvious, given the shape of this room. So listen well, Red Riot. Do not doubt yourself. Because of you, we will catch this man, and it will all thanks to you."

"T-Thank you, sir." Stunned by his words, the redhead could only stare at the man. Kirishima had some doubts about the help he provided but was grateful for the director's words. _If he had been a real hero would have finished the job. Not leave it half-assed as he did. _He scoffed at himself until a muffled ringing sound broke his self-criticism.

"Yes? Excellent. Have the footage sent to my phone immediately and have him in room two, I will be interviewing him personally. One moment." He was abrupt and direct to the caller.

"Diachi has been found. It seems he was trying to board an airplane out of the country. A one-way trip."

"What about the wolf?" Koda inquired before Kirishima could respond.

"He only had a bag with him - nothing else. He may have left her somewhere or might have someone else transporting her. I have my officers checking all the docks and airports in the area." He then addressed the caller, "Have the teams checking docks and airports to check the neighboring cities. Anything within a three to four-hour radius of the clinic." He hung up the phone before addressing the heroes in front of him. "The suspect is being transported to the station. Care to watch the integration?

The two heroes didn't hesitate. While their bodies were yelling at them for food and sleep, they were going to see this through. Kirishima was getting antsy during the ride to the station. He was glad they found the doctor, but he didn't have the wolf with him. There was a lot of blood in the ward. While he'd like to believe it wasn't her, but he knew better. She was a fighter, but she was injured and could only do so much. It had to be hers. Though if vet went through this much trouble to get her, he wouldn't let her die. They needed to find out what the man did with her and fast. Luckily for them, the station wasn't far away. As they made their way down the hallway to the interview room, the director informed them. "Now, I can't let you in the room, but you are welcome to watch through the observation mirror. "

"Yes, sir." The heroes said unison as the director left them with their escort, who lead them to the observation room. Once inside the dimly lit room, the heroes were joined by two well-dressed staff members. Both of which, quickly sat down and began operating expensive-looking monitoring equipment. The interview room, like many other interview rooms, was simple. Two chairs, one table. All of which are meant to be functional, not comfortable. A new wave of fury flooded through Kirishima as he got his first look at the vet through the two-way mirror. The vet looked pale and tired as he sat nervously at the table, nothing like the night before. Dressed in an expensive-looking tailored suit, some would mistake him for someone lawyer waiting on the client instead of the suspect in large underground trade ring.

A loud creak signaled to the man that he was no longer alone. The director walked in with his peppered hair freshly combed hair, and folder tucked under his arm. While he didn't carry the muscle or have the height Kirishima had, he was still an intimidating presence. All of which came with his age and experience in his field. He gave the doctor a hard stare making the man flinch slightly. While the doctor was smart at his core, he was a coward. Kirishima and Koda watched silently behind the glass as the scene in front of them unfolded.

"Mr. Diachi, I presume?" The director inquired while dropping the folder down the table with a loud smack.

"Dr. Diachi." His tone oozed arrogance as he corrected the older man. The director smirked before having a seat across from the suspect.

"Ah, Dr. Diachi. My apologies." His tone professional but held a hint of sarcasm. "Why don't we just cut right to the chase? You know why your here, don't you?"

"I haven't the slightest clue. I was leaving for an important business trip when your goons removed from my flight." Keeping that arrogant tone.

"Goons? You mean the uniformed officers?" He was just toying with him now.

"Your goons. I was dragged off my flight, in handcuffs no less, like a criminal. Honestly, Do you know how important I am? It was an embarrassment for someone of my status to be treated in such a way. You'll be lucky to have a job after this. And be sure your department will be receiving a bill for the cost of my plane ticket."

"Tell you what. You tell me where you took the wolf, and we'll see about that plane ticket. I'm sure I can get some of the cost transferred to your canteen."

"I don't know what you're talking about." While Diachi kept his voice composed, the director could see small beads of sweat appearing on the man's forehead.

"Really? So you don't remember the wolf you brought back to your office? You know the one you picked up from the raid last night? Oh, and I'm sure you know nothing about the mess at your clinic, am I right? Cut the bullshit." He pressed.

"If there were any issues at my clinic, I'm sure it had nothing to do with me, perhaps it was one of my staff, or maybe I was broken into." The vet rehearsed. "Have you considered that? Perhaps you should be looking for the actual criminals instead of wasting my time?" He paused to regain his composer. "As for the wolf you speak of, yes, I brought it to my clinic last night after saving its life. Your heroes can testify for that. I left shortly after they did. I had a plane to catch."

"Uh, huh..." The director's phone beeps. "One moment." The director pulls out his phone. From behind the thick glass, the heroes could tell it was a video, but they couldn't see much details. The director just smiled replayed the video before chuckling. That seemed to anger the arrogant man across from him. After a few minutes of the director snickering at his phone, the vet had had enough.

"This is ridiculous. If you have nothing further to ask me, I'll take my leave. You have wasted enough of my time. Any further contact should be directed to my lawyer." The man rose to make his grand exit.

"Oh, I do have one more question, have a seat." It wasn't a request. "But first, I want to show you something." He held the phone up to the man, face getting paler than as he stares at the screen. "This is my favorite part." He tapped play, letting the video playout for the shocked man. There was no sound, and the watchers behind the glass couldn't see what was playing out in front of the suspect. "I have to say you have one hell of a security system. Just like all the other equipment at your office." He grinned. "Did you know that even if the security footage is deleted from the main computer system in the office, it keeps a backup copy on the cloud server. Amazing what technology is capable of these days." Dr. Diachi collapsed back down the chair, slumping forward. He was caught; he knew it. "So my question for you is, doctor; how does it feel to be outfoxed by a wolf?"

"It shouldn't have had the strength to fight back.."

"You can thank a certain hero for that. Lucky for her, he gave her a pick me up before he left." The vet tossed an empty wrapper in front of the man. It was similar to the bar Kirishima had fed the wolf the night before. The vet glared at the protein wrapper before mumbling a curse to the redheaded hero under his breath. "Now, that's not a nice thing to say about a hero." As the director spoke, he slowly rose and walked around the man letting his hand land hard on the vet's right shoulder. The well-dressed man let out a painful yell before the older one grabbed his arm and pulled his collar to reveal his a large bandage that looked worn and hastily applied. "I'm surprised by you doctor. This looks like something an amateur would do. Not something man of your talents would do, but you were in a hurry, and it is hard to treat an injury like this with only one arm" The director mocked while the man squirmed and tried to pull away. Of course, that only put him in more pain. "Looks like she got you good, there."

"Release me!" The man howled in pain.

"Where is the wolf?"

"I DON'T KNOW! THAT BITCH RAN OFF AFTER SHE ATTACKED ME. NOW LET ME GO!" The vet all but screamed as he trashed against his hold. The director only laughed at the man's attempts before he released him.

"You shouldn't have underestimated." The director pulled out a set of handcuffs, jerking the man up as he restrained him. "Now you're going to spend a long time in jail. All because of a hero and a wolf. I'd say that's the real bitch here."


End file.
